Bringing It Home (Code Of Honor Book 3)

by Reese Knightley

  Clay turned and fired back at them. The bullet entered the hood of their vehicle.

  Now that there weren’t any cops in the way, Diesel leaned out his window and returned fire while Isaac did the same.

  Sirens sounded in the distance and more cop cars tried to corner Clay. The fucker went up and over the center divider and straight toward the middle of town. He hopped onto the sidewalk and headed directly for the farmer’s market.

  People screamed and scrambled out of the motorcycle’s path.

  Awnings fell and were ripped away.

  They squealed around the corner and were stopped by a fallen hot dog cart.

  “Hold on!” Isaac shouted and dove halfway out the window to grab onto the material of an awning.

  Water, mud, and rocks flew into the window when Isaac wadded the large piece of awning into a ball in his lap.

  The street was a dead end where the community held the winter festival. It would only be a matter of time before Clay realized that and came back their way.

  Isaac pulled a knife and began cutting slits in the tarp.

  Diesel kept an eye on the bike in case Clay ditched it.

  When Mr. Martin found himself blocked in, he flipped the bike around and gunned it back toward them.

  Diesel put a bullet in the gas tank of the crotch rocket, but it did nothing to slow the guy down.

  Clay zoomed through pedestrians, causing people to slip and scramble. A few went down hard on the wet pavement.

  “Damn it, too many people!”

  “Yeah, no clear shot,” Zane yelled back and hit the gas, making a hard U-turn.

  “Go, go, go!” Isaac shouted and they flew after the cycle.

  Diesel’s phone rang.

  “Diesel! We’ve set up a roadblock on the interstate enough to slow him down if he gets back to the highway.”

  “Tell him that I’ll net the wheel,” Isaac shouted.

  “Isaac has a plan if you can slow the bastard down enough.”

  “We’ll do our best,” Memphis shouted and hung up.

  The road ahead narrowed, lined with any available law enforcement and even some townsmen. That and the wet street literally forced Clay to slow. He didn’t stop, though; the fucker flipped around and came back toward them.

  Diesel aimed for the tire and Isaac let the hole-riddled tarp fly. The bullet missed, but the tarp caught.

  The cuts in the tarp widened just enough to wrap around the front wheel and jam the fabric between the front fork and the wheel, bringing the bike to an abrupt stop.

  Clay went flying over the front of the bike and rolled several times across the pavement.

  Before the SUV rolled to a stop, Triton jumped out and ran toward the fallen biker.

  “Shit!” Zane shouted.

  “Fuck!” Diesel lunged out of the passenger door, chasing after Triton. He’d forgotten how fast Triton could run and it took him several precious seconds to reach him.

  Triton suddenly had a weapon in his hand and was screaming at Clay, who lay on the ground groaning.

  “You motherfucker! You deserve to fucking die!” Tears streamed down Triton’s face. The weapon wobbled, his finger on the trigger and his face bright with rage. “Where’s Fraser?”

  “Triton, baby. You don’t want to do this.” He soothed him like he had that wild fawn.

  “Yes, I do!” Triton fired the weapon and the shot went into the street near Clay’s head.

  “Where’s Fraser?” Triton screamed through his teeth.

  The weapon shook.

  Everyone stopped, the sound of the gunfire and the unfolding scene brought them to complete stillness.

  Clay froze and stopped rolling. He put out his hands. “Stop him,” Clay hissed at Diesel.

  “Shut the fuck up,” Zane snarled.

  “Triton, look at me,” Diesel said, ignoring everyone else except his boy.

  Triton’s eyes burned with a bottled up anger when they flashed to Diesel. Triton’s gaze didn’t linger—his eyes snapped back to Clay.

  “Tell me!” Triton took a step forward and leaned down, the weapon just inches from Clay’s face.

  “Triton, I have Fraser in the back of my squad car,” Memphis said, approaching on the opposite side from Diesel.

  “Help me,” Clay cried again.

  Triton dashed at his eyes with his free hand and the weapon aiming at Clay shook.

  “Boy, look at me,” Diesel ordered.

  Triton looked at him again, but the weapon stayed aimed at Clay.

  “He’s not worth going to jail for, baby.”

  Tears swam in Triton’s blue eyes. “He fucking hurt me, beat me. He kidnapped Fraser and Miles.”

  “And he’ll pay. I promise.” Diesel swallowed. “But I can’t lose you. Please don’t let him take you from me, Triton.”

  Triton sucked in several gasping and noisy sobs and suddenly threw the weapon on the ground.

  Diesel rushed in and lifted Triton against his body and held him close. “Shhh, it’s okay, boy. I’ve got you.”

  “Diesel,” Triton sobbed. He could barely hear the words as he carried Triton back to the SUV.

  Memphis snatched up Triton’s gun from the ground and tucked it away.

  “We’ll take him.” Whip stepped up to the man on the ground.

  “Thanks,” Memphis said and reached down to yank Clay upward.

  Clay shoved a shoulder into Memphis and slammed into Whip.

  “Gun!” Memphis shouted, and two shots rang out.

  Diesel took three giant steps behind the barricade of his SUV. His hands shook as he raced them over Triton’s body, searching for injuries.

  “I’m fine, I’m not hit,” Triton hurried to say, arms wrapped around his neck as he clung to him. For several tense moments, they stayed like that, hunkered down. His arms gripped Triton tightly.

  “Clear,” Memphis called out.

  Triton slowly turned in his arms and Diesel gazed at the scene over his head.

  Whip stood over Clay pointing his weapon at the dead man. A hole bloomed in the man’s forehead and a gun lay in Clay’s lax grip.

  That was how close Triton had come to dying. Diesel’s heart lurched.

  “That’s for Axel, you motherfucker,” Whip growled.

  “Whip, easy,” Memphis said quietly to the marshal and gently took the smoking gun from Whip’s hand.

  Triton shuddered and Diesel turned the younger man away from the scene.

  The door to a sheriff car was suddenly pushed open, and a young man jumped out and ran toward them.

  “Fraser!”

  “Oh, Triton,” Fraser sobbed.

  Triton clutched his friend and they clung to each other. “It’s okay, Diesel will keep us safe,” Triton whispered, and the words warmed Diesel’s heart. “Come on, you can take a shower at my home,” Triton added, and Diesel smiled. His boy called his place home.

  “Come on, you two, let’s go home,” he agreed.

  “Yes,” Triton whispered, fiercely clutching Fraser’s hand.

  Diesel was glad the bastard was dead, and he was glad it hadn’t been by Triton’s hand.

  Killing someone came with a lot of consequences, much more than just the legal ones.

  He didn’t want anything standing in his way of a life with Triton by his side.

  Triton

  He closed the door of Diesel’s house and set the alarm while Diesel carried their luggage into the room at the far back.

  Triton helped Fraser get settled into the spare room and then let himself out into the hallway.

  Leaning against the door jamb of the master bedroom, he watched Diesel unpack his things and hang them in the closet.

  “Plan on me moving in?” His smile was soft.

  “Fraser’s in there,” Diesel pointed out, and hung up his pale blue shirt.

  “And if he wasn’t?”

  “You can keep your clothes in the other room, but your butt will be in my bed.” The man looked smug before tucking his b
oots into the closet.

  “Is that an order, sir?” he teased, a smile stretching his lips as Diesel moved him in.

  “Yes.” Diesel lowered to sit on the edge of the bed and held out a hand to him. He closed the bedroom door and moved across the room to take Diesel’s hand without hesitation.

  “You know what I love best about you?”

  Diesel sucked in a quick breath and his Adam’s apple bobbed when he swallowed hard. Triton had no problem telling Diesel he loved him.

  “What’s that, baby?” Diesel drew him closer.

  “The way you adult. You’ve taught me so much.” Triton brushed fallen strands of hair back from Diesel’s forehead. “I only hope I can give you back as much as you’ve given me.”

  “Oh, baby, you give me everything,” Diesel rumbled, tugging him down and kissing him slowly on the lips. “You keep me feeling young. Younger than I’ve felt in a very long time. Will you be my forever?”

  “Oh, hell yes,” he whispered, lowering to the bed beside Diesel.

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “You already said that.” He smoothed the line between Diesel’s strong brows.

  Diesel nodded. “Yes, but I’m sorry I blamed your age on something that had nothing to do with that.”

  “Tell me what happened,” he breathed.

  Diesel told him about the scene the day he’d caught his stepsister and Shawn in his bed.

  “Oh, Diesel, I’m sorry,” Triton murmured.

  Diesel gave a half smile. “Don’t be. I blamed his actions on his age instead of the character of the man himself. That’s a mistake I won’t make again.”

  Triton smiled, his heart hurting for his big, tough lover.

  “There are plenty of men and women who never grow up no matter how old they are.”

  Diesel nodded. “Exactly.”

  “I’m young,” he agreed, giving an impish grin. “I’ll give you that.”

  Diesel chuckled and drew him onto his lap. Triton straddled him with his legs on either side of Diesel’s and draped his arms over the large man’s wide shoulders.

  “I may still make mistakes, but trust me enough when I say that you aren’t one of them.”

  “I trust you.”

  The big man’s words warmed his stomach.

  “I’m beginning to know myself better,” he continued. “I may not know everything that I want out of life yet, but I know what I don’t want.”

  Diesel quirked an eyebrow. “And what’s that?”

  “I don’t want to live without you. I’m in this, Diesel. I’m in this with my whole heart.”

  Diesel returned his smile.

  “Do you hear me?”

  “I hear you, baby boy.”

  “Then let’s call Maddox,” he said.

  Sliding from Diesel’s lap, he sat cross legged on the bed. Diesel turned sideways and held his gaze as the phone rang.

  Maddox answered on the first ring. “We’re almost to the airport, tell me you’re safe.”

  “I’m safe and with Diesel. You’re on speaker phone. Clay Martin’s dead.”

  “Good,” Triton heard River say in the background.

  “When are you coming home, Triton? Do you need us to come get you?” Maddox asked.

  “I am home and no, you can come visit, but this is where I belong.” He smiled into Diesel’s face.

  “Are you sure?” Maddox asked.

  “Yes, and there’s something I need to tell you.”

  Maddox listened quietly while he explained about college, his massage therapy license, and his bad decision to go back to Clay.

  Diesel held out a hand and he took it, gripping it tight. The man’s look was so loving, it brought a lump to his throat.

  “It’s crazy how I thought I didn’t deserve better,” he told his cousin, but kept his eyes glued to Diesel’s warm green gaze.

  “And now you believe you do?” Maddox asked.

  “Oh, hell yes I do. I’ve gotten a taste of what life could be like with Diesel, and I want that.”

  Diesel’s smile was a soft, warm glow.

  “Why now?” Maddox pressed.

  “I made some really bad decisions thinking I wasn’t worth much.”

  “Oh, Triton. I wish you would have come to me.”

  “I couldn’t. I needed to do it on my own, Maddox. I needed to make my own mistakes, so I could learn and grow. I’ve done some hard living and growing the past year, and I know what I want now.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I want a life with Diesel and I plan on making him happier than he’s ever been.”

  “I believe you,” Maddox said. “I love you.”

  “I love you, Triton,” River called out from the background.

  “I love you both.” He talked for a while longer before hanging up and curling back into Diesel’s arms.

  “Hang on,” Diesel said and lifted him up a bit to pull out a box from his pocket. “I want to give you this. We can pick out something later that you like.”

  He held the box and stared opened mouthed at Diesel.

  Diesel smirked. “Open it.”

  Tugging the top off, he saw that the most beautiful silver choker chain lay nestled on a bed of blue velvet. “Oh my god, I love it.”

  “Here.” Diesel lifted it and attached it around his neck.

  Triton fingered the metal and then slipped off Diesel’s lap to run to the mirror to gaze at the collar.

  “It’s a collar?”

  “If you want it to be.”

  “I do!” He raced back to Diesel, but instead of climbing in his lap, he tugged on the big bear’s hand to get him standing, his hands working on the man’s belt buckle.

  “I want to wear it naked to bed.”

  “I can get on board with that,” Diesel chuckled.

  Triton giggled.

  Diesel

  Two months later

  The party at Zane’s house was in full swing. Lively music was piped through the overhead speakers. A massive table sat mid-room, draped with a bright table cloth and piled with dishes and plates of food and snacks.

  The wall met Diesel’s back as he stepped out of Rachael’s way. The woman dashed out of the kitchen with a large tray of fresh baked cookies to put with the ton of treats on the table.

  The main room of Zane’s place was filled with people mingling. A poker game was currently ongoing in the game room and an impromptu BDSM party was ramping up in the pool room downstairs.

  Laughter broke out across the room and the scent of freshly baked goods floated on the air.

  “Hey, bro.” Zane’s approach brought him out of his daydreaming. His brother had flown in yesterday for the Fourth of July party.

  “When do you have to head out?”

  “Day after tomorrow.” Zane frowned. “Although, the mission won’t be all of us.”

  Over the past few months, Liam had split Infinity up. Isaac had been deployed on assignment a month ago and Zane was being a grouch about it. Other than this moment, Zane had stood at the bar drinking whiskey and avoiding conversation. There wasn’t much Diesel could do about it, his brother needed to work his own shit out.

  “Well, tell the unit they better get their asses up here to see me and Triton.” He took another swallow of his drink.

  Zane chuckled, his dark mood suddenly gone. “I’ll drag them here myself.”

  Laughter erupted again, drawing his attention. Holding a platter of cookies, Fraser darted across the room, running from Rachael.

  “The party needs some snacks,” Fraser yelled with a laugh.

  Chuckling, Rachael gave chase. “Not all of them!”

  The pair disappeared from view.

  Next to the table, Axel and Whip were arguing.

  “I don’t like cream,” Axel growled.

  “Just try it,” Whip snapped.

  “Get that stuff away from me.” Axel squinted. The marshals glared at each other.

  Ah yes, love was in the air.

&
nbsp; Through the noise, he heard the doorbell, and since he was closest, he pulled open the door.

  “Diesel.”

  “Elijah!” Diesel reached out and gripped the captain’s hand. “Good to see you.”

  “You too.” Elijah pulled him into a tight grip and then stepped back. Reaching behind him, Elijah tugged up a beautiful blond young man. His eyes were a bright blue and lined with dark eyeliner, glitter on his lips.

  “This is my husband, Justin,” Elijah said proudly.

  Diesel had heard the story of the chain of events in Crumpet, Washington, where Elijah had met Justin. He was fiercely glad his friend had come out of all that okay.

  “Nice to meet you, Justin.” He shook the man’s hand. “Congratulations. Come on in, we have enough food to feed an army,” he joked and led them back toward the crowd of people.

  Elijah and Justin were swept up by Maddox and River, who’d flown in yesterday.

  Diesel took a moment to sweep the area for his lover. He spotted Triton speaking with Miles and Ted.

  Triton was dressed in tight blue pants and a silky white shirt -proudly wearing his beautiful collar around his slender neck. On his wrists were thin silver, red, and blue bracelets that jangled when he walked. Diesel thought them sexy as fuck.

  Triton was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen, inside and out. How had he gotten so damned lucky? The boy he’d sworn to stay away from had become his present and future.

  Triton

  Feeling Diesel’s eyes on him, he lifted his head and smiled at his lover.

  “Excuse me,” he grinned at Miles, who giggled and snuggled beneath Ted’s arm.

  Gliding across the room, he reached Diesel’s side.

  “I want you to meet some people.” He drew Triton over to introduce Elijah and Justin.

  “We live up in Washington,” Justin said after shaking Triton’s hand. “You should come visit this coming Christmas.”

  Diesel quirked a brow at him and Triton smiled.

  “Trust me, bro,” Elijah said. “You don’t want to miss a Crumpet Christmas.”

  “It sounds lovely,” Triton said. “Will you two be there?” he asked his cousin and River.

  “If we can get the time off,” River spoke before Maddox could. His cousin just smiled and nodded. He could see how in love Maddox and River were and it warmed his heart.